The invention relates to an obstetrical vacuum extractor to assist in childbirth.
The conventional vacuum extractor has a vacuum cup at one end that is integral with a stem and handle. The stem is hollow so that a vacuum can be applied through the stem to the cup. Grasping the extractor with the handle, the physician places the cup on the head of the infant, and applies a partial vacuum through the hollow stem to the cup. A flexible edge at the mouth of the cup seals to the infant's head, and allows the physician to pull with the handle, transmitting this force to assist in delivery.
The above described vacuum extractor works well in pulling the infant out of the birth canal. However, the infant's head will sometimes rotate as it descends through the birth canal. The cup can rotate on the infant's head without breaking the seal, and injury can occur if the cup does not rotate in unison with the head. In such cases, the physician is required to manually rotate the handle at the same time as the head rotates. This can be a difficult procedure to accomplish.